Vaping, more common than smoking among teens, comes under scrutiny

Friday

As e-cigarettes become increasingly popular among young people, they are beginning to come under heightened scrutiny.

As e-cigarettes become increasingly popular among young people, they are beginning to come under heightened scrutiny.

“A lot of kids don’t understand these are dangerous products and contain nicotine,” said Marc Hymovitz, director of government relations for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network of Massachusetts.

In Massachusetts, vaping has become significantly more popular than smoking cigarettes among high school students. Using e-cigarettes is not called smoking — it is referred to as vaping — despite the similarities to traditional cigarettes. Unlike combustible cigarettes, however, vaping produces an aerosol vapor instead of a smoke.

Nearly 24 percent of Massachusetts high school students reported currently using e-cigarettes or vape pens, according to a 2015 Department of Public Health survey. More than 44 percent reported ever trying vaping.

Less than 16 percent of high school students statewide reported using tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco.

Just 2.7 percent of adults currently vape, and 14 percent had ever tried vaping, according to the 2015 survey.

Vaping

Vape pens, or electronic cigarettes, use a battery heat a flavored liquid to produce an aerosol vapor that is inhaled. The flavored aerosol vapor, according to the ACS CAN often contains high amounts of addictive nicotine and particles of metals, propylene glycol, nitrosamines and other harmful chemicals.

Vaping is often perceived as less dangerous than smoking.

“Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and illness, so pretty much everything’s going to be safer, but it doesn’t mean they’re safe,” Hymovitz said. “There is limited data, but the data we have shows these products are not safe.”

According to the ACS CAN, e-cigarette aerosols can harm the lungs and may include carcinogens, while nicotine can harm adolescent brain development. Little is known about the long-term health effects of vaping.

Preparing to regulate

A pair of pending bills in the state Legislature would subject tobacco products and e-cigarettes to new, tighter restrictions. Vape pens would be included to the smoke-free workplace law, meaning they couldn’t be used wherever smoking is prohibited. The bills would also increase the statewide age for tobacco and vaping sales from 18 to 21 years old and would prohibit the sale of tobacco and e-cigarettes at pharmacies and other stores that provide health care services.

Many adults are far behind the curve on when it comes to awareness of vaping, said Marilyn Edge, director of Tobacco Control of Western Bristol County and Foxboro.

“I think there’s a huge lack of knowledge,” she said. “With cigarettes, they’ve been around forever and everyone knows they’re bad for you.”

She said she often hears from high school administrators who confiscate vaping products from students on a nearly daily basis.

While sales of vaping products are legally restricted to adults age 18 and older, Edge said, her organization’s sting operations have shown vape pens and liquids are frequently sold to underage teens. The products are also often sold online, where underage consumers can use generic gift cards to illegally make the purchases, she said.

Diane Knight, program director for the Northeast Tobacco Free Community Partnership, which covers 50 cities and towns in the Merrimack Valley and North Shore, said it’s disheartening to see vaping become more popular among teens after years of tobacco prevention efforts decreased the teen smoking rate.

“This is not harmless, although that can be the perception among youth,” Knight said.

Bright packaging and fruit flavors, she said, attract kids. Some manufacturers make small vape pens that are easily concealable or look like markers or USB drives, leading to widespread use among students at school.

Administrators from several high schools, Knight said, have contacted her about vaping. Some students may even discreetly take a puff from a vape pen in the middle of class, she said.

“The flavors are sweet. These are cheap and easy to get,” Knight said. “I think youth are getting hooked at an alarming rate. I’m not sure how much young people think about nicotine addiction when they’re just tasting a flavor.”

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